Relay



' Feb. 8, 1949. VINCENT 2,461,360

RELAY Filed Oct. 16, 1943 INVENTOR. By Andrew Vincen 1-:

Patented Feb. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RELAY Andrew W. Vincent, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Stromberg-Carlson Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 16, 1943, Serial No. 506,606

Claims.

This invention relates to relays and the like.

The object of the invention is to provide arelay which is relatively easy to manufacture, which can be quickly adjusted and which is reliable in operation.

The various features of the invention will appear from the detailed description and claims when taken with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the relay of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation; and Fig. 3 is a right end view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, showing particularly the arrangement of the sprin as- 3 sembly in relation to the armature;

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of certain of the springs in the spring assembly;

Fig, 6 is a fragmentary perspective view, particularly showing the mounting of the armature on the frame and the means for releasably retaining the. armature on this frame, and also showing the means for adjusting the air gap of the armature; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the armature retainer.

The relay of this invention includes an energizing coil 5 which is removably secured on the core 6, made of suitable magnetic material. The coil 5 may be wound on a spool of insulating material of which only the end plates I and I! are visible, or it may be wound directly on the core 6 in which case the insulating plates I and 8 will be mounted directly on the core to position the coil. has a short portion III mounted on the left end of the core, as illustrated in Fig. 2 and has its long portion II substantially equal in length to the core and extending in spaced parallel relation to the right end thereof. While the frame may be mounted on the core in any suitable manner, it is preferably fastened thereto by a screw I2 threaded into the left end of the core, the screw having its head countersunk so that it is substantiallyflush with the outer face of the frame part I0. The portion II of the frame, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, has its right-hand end machined to provide a corner or bearing I3 on which the inner corner I4 of an angular or folded armature can rock. This armature has a part I5A adapted to swing into and out of contact with the head of the core 6 and has a part I5B which extends generally in the direction of the portion I I of the magnetic frame and approximately at right angles with respect to part I5A. As shown in Fig.

An. L-shaped frame of magnetic material 6, the center of the part I5B of the armature is punched out to accommodate armature retaining means to be described. However, the upright part I 5A of the armature has a struck-out tongue I6, positioned so that its corner I! is in substantial alinement with the inner corner I 4 of the armature. It should be mentioned that the right end of the frame is notched to provide clearance for the struck-out tongue I6.

In order to retain the armature in its proper rocking position, there is welded onto the end portion I I of the frame, a spring latch I8 of nonmagnetic material extending generally lengthwise of the frame. This latch has a lip I9 that fits over the corner I! of the tongue I6 formed on the armature. This latch resiliently holds the armature on the end of the frame and yet the armature can be readily disengaged from the frame by moving the armature toward the right, as illustrated in Fig. 2. In order to insure that the spring latch will not be sprung beyond its elastic limit in applying the armature to the frame, the latch is provided with a stop. This stop comprises a strip 20 having one end thereof integral with the latch spring but the remainder of the strip is punched from the intermediate portion of the latch. The free end of the strip is formed into an upstanding portion 2I with laterally projecting lugs 22 extending in a position to limit the upward movement of the lip I9, It has been pointed out that the corner I! on the lip I6 is in alinement with the corner I 4 of the armature. By this construction the corner I3 of the relay frame which contacts the inner corner I4 of the armature and the portion of the lip I9 of the retaining latch I8 which engages the corner ll of the tongue I6 are in alinement so that the armature rocks on a line bearing.

It is frequently desirable to adjust the air gap of the armature and for this purpose there is provided a U-shaped piece 23 having legs 24 folded to conform generally to the angular shape of the armature. The ends 25 of these legs are bent or otherwise shaped to extend through or hook into notches 26 or other suitable receiving means in the armature where they engage the inside surface of the armature portion I513 or the receiving means as the case may be. The base portion of piece 23 is shown provided with a screw 21 threaded into the armature portion I5A so that by loosening or tightening this screw the angularity of the armature and therefore the air gap between the armature and the head of the core may be changed at will.

The end of the part I5A of the armature in the course of its rocking movement, changes the relation between certain of the contacts of a contact spring assembly. The contact spring assembly comprises an elongated mounting plate 29, adapted to be secured by screws to the top portion ll of the frame. On this mounting plate there are secured two stacks of contact spring sets, although it will be understood that this relay is not limited to this arrangement since a single stack of contact springs may be used. Each stack 3 of springs comprises a plurality of sets, each set including a stationary contact spring 30, an armature spring 31 and the back stationary contact spring 32. These springs at their left ends'are separated from each other and from the mounting plate by strips of insulation, the strips of insulation and the contact springs being secured to the mounting plate by a clamping plate 34. It

will be understood that this clamping plate which is herein illustrated as being of H-shape to clamp two stacks of springs, may have the form of a single strip when only a single stack ofcontact springs is employed, With either shape of clamping plate, its right end is maintained exactly spaced-from the relay frame by a spacing sleeve 45 located between mounting plate 34 and mountmg plate '29. A screw 46 passing through these 4 engagement with the back contact stationary springs (Fig. 4)

The above rather specific description of one form of the present invention is given solely by the way of example, and is not intended in any manner whatsoever, in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that various modifications, adaptations and alterations may be applied to meet the requirements of practice, without in any manner departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention, except as limited by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a relay having a core provided with a coil, a frame associated with said core and having a portion adjacent one end of said core, said portion constituting a line bearing, said frame having a notch therein which interrupts said line bearing, an angular armature having an inner corner and having a struck-out tongue received in said notch and provided with a corner extending in substantial registry with the line bearing of said frame, the inner corner of said armature engaging said line bearing whereby the armature can rock on said frame with respect to said core, and a spring latch having a lip acting mt t t .tt' tttttt it btttttt tt t tt tt toh tcoh thqhht ht hep ph hthnhhctht g oesteq pGUAGGU moment more 31 seq monopeimspme can 1.001: on es q eme lhltll heebeop ebeeeq-nom we Lent name ph s ZIJSTGIUR 2166 S2 snesprne entrant. zsgq use peanut npeieph ope 69M113 01 291G ILSIHG BUG IUIJGI. (201.1161. 01 28W core, frame means for supporting the aforementioned parts, and a folded armature mounted to rock on a portion of said frame relative to said core; a member engaging the armature at each side of the fold therein permitting bending of the armature in order to adjust the air gap between the armature portions with respect to each other and the core.

5. In an electromagnet assembly for a relay of the type including a core, a coil carried by said core, frame means for supporting the aforementioned parts, and an armature folded into two portions extending approximately at right angles to each other; the first of said portions having an opening therein, and a rigid member having a part extending into said opening and provided with another part having engagement with the second portion of said armature in such a manner as to permit changing the angularity of said armature at will.

ANDREW 'W. VlNCE-NT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 929,844 Erickson Aug. 3, 1909 1,577,031 Kaisling Mar. 16, 1926 2,077,091 Brander Apr. 13, 1937 2,134,443 Knos Oct, 25, 1938 2,10,33i Merkel Feb. 13, 1Q40 2,209,214: Wallace July 3, 1940 2,235,861 Wood Mar. 25, 1941 2,282,687 Vigren et a1 May 12, 1942 2,339,610 Baker Jan. 18, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 355,667 Great Britain Aug. 21, 1931 358,070 Great Britain Oct. 5, 1931 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,461,360. February 8, 1949.

ANDREW W. VINCENT It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 5, line 5, before permitting insert portions With respect to each other and insert after armature;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of September, A. D. 1949.

JOE E. DANIELS,

Assistant Oommz'esioner of Patents.

Certificate of Correction Patent N 0. 2,461,360. February 8, 1949.

ANDREW W. VINCENT It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 5, line 5, before permitting insertfor; lines 7 and 8, strike out the Words portions with respect to each other and insert the same in line 6, same column, after armature;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of September, A. D. 1949.

JOE E. DANIELS, I

Assistant Gommz'asioner of Patents. 

